A chronicle of my flights, adventures, and school bus conversion project

Changi Airport and The Private Room

It was finally time to head home. I left myself ample time before my flight to explore the airport and check out Singapore Airlines’ exclusive lounge known as The Private Room.

First Class Check-in

The experience begins as soon as you arrive. Although it’s possible to check-in at any of the airline’s counters, the private first class check-in is a pretty awesome experience. It honestly looks more like a fancy lounge than a check-in area. All of the luggage scales and belts that you would normally see are hidden from sight.

First class check-inFirst class check-in desk

I sat down and checked in at one of the multiple open desks and received my golden boarding pass along with my invitation to The Private Room.

My boarding pass and golden ticket

The Airport

Before I headed to the lounge, we checked out the many awesome things to see at Changi airport. Not the least of which were the sunflower garden, free movie theatre, butterfly garden, and multiple koi ponds.

The rooftop sunflower gardenThe free movie theatreButterfly gardenMore of the butterfly gardenOne of the many koi ponds

The duty free shop also had some impressive liquor selections that I’d never seen anywhere else.

The Macallan M for just under eight grand

All in all, the airport was incredible. There was even a rooftop pool from what I’ve read. We had no problem spending six hours exploring the airport and there was still tons left to see.

After we said our goodbyes and Karen headed for her flight, I made my way to The Private Room to relax for the remaining six hours.

The Private Room

The Private Room is located inside the SilverKris lounge, so it’s technically a lounge within a lounge. After showing your golden ticket to the attendant at the entrance to the SilverKris lounge, someone escorts you to The Private Room.

Entrance to the SilverKris Lounge

The attendant swiftly whisked me past the first class lounge, which was quite impressive in itself, and then to the entrance to The Private Room.

The SilverKris first class loungeThe entrance to The Private Room

Once inside, we passed by a newspaper display with an assortment of reading material in numerous languages.

Newspapers from all over the world

As we proceeded through the lounge, the attendant asked me if I would like something to eat, so we made our way to the dining area.

If this were a regular restaurant, the space could have easily seated over fifty guests, but here, it was outfitted with massive leather chairs with ample space nearby for hand luggage.

The massive dining area

Once seated, I was given a menu to look over and my drink order was taken. As I had yet to look over the extensive alcohol list, I asked the waitress for “something with alcohol and mango in it”.

The menu offerings were certainly as expansive as I had heard, with offerings to suit any palate. As most of the dishes weren’t nearly as large as in a regular restaurant, similar to in the Polaris Lounge it was possible to sample multiple items.

The salad was good, but in retrospect, I feel like the space in my stomach could have been used for better things. The drink however, definitely exceeded my expectations. It was delicious, but I have no idea what was in it aside from the mango.

Waldorf Salad

The first entree I selected was the U.S. Prime Beef Burger with Foie Gras, Rocket Leaf and Fried Quail Egg. It was absolutely incredible. Perfectly cooked and juicy on the inside, Coupled with the fancy toppings, it was certainly the most unique and flavorful burger I’ve ever had.

Next up, I tried the Baked Lobster with Three Cheeses. It was absolutely succulent. Not as rich as the lobster thermidor that I had on my flight the next morning, but I would order it again in a heartbeat.

Baked Lobster with Three Cheeses

Finally, I had the Rosemary Roasted Lamb Leg Boulangere. Although it was also very good, I’d probably rank it third amongst the entrees I tried.

Rosemary Roasted Lamb Leg Boulangere

After dinner, I decided to grab a shower and freshen up before my long flight.

Bathroom in The Private Room

The showers were clean and well kept. You pick a shower suite of your choice and find a plastic wrapped towel along with a basket of toiletries by the sink. No heated floors or anything ridiculous like in the Polaris Lounge, but it provided everything I needed to freshen up.

Shower in The Private RoomShower in The Private Room

Afterwards, I got comfortable in the lounge and waited for my flight to board. This place was truly magnificent. High ceilings, massive chairs, and probably only ten or so other people occupying the lounge along with me.

The Private Room’s lounge areaThe Private Room’s lounge area

The one part that I really loved about this place was the service. No matter where you sat, the waitstaff knew where you were sitting, what your name was, and what you were drinking. I never made it to the bottom of any of my drinks before a new one appeared in my hand.

Singapore Sling in The Private Room

Overall, The Private Room was everything I’d hoped it to be. From the service, to the food, to the expansive amounts of space, it was everything a good lounge should be. The only thing it was missing was a nap room, as I was almost asleep by the time I headed to the gate for my midnight flight.

That feeling was soon forgotten though, as I excitedly made my way down the jet bridge and onto the A380 several minutes later. More to come in my next post!